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Rebels beat Hurricanes 5-2 in playoff series preview

Mar 14, 2018 | 9:59 PM

The Red Deer Rebels continue to make things interesting.

Having already clinched a playoff spot, the Rebels are now making a spirited push to earn home ice advantage in the opening round.

They pulled closer to making that happen with a 5-2 win Wednesday night at the Enmax Centrium, the very team they will be battling in the post-season.

“We did what we had to to win,” Rebels GM/head coach Brent Sutter said after the game. “It was kind of a sloppy game at times and then at times there was purpose in it.

“Obviously we needed to win if we want to give ourselves a chance. You never know what can happen going into the weekend. Who knows, but at least it keeps it open to some possibly interesting scenarios that can still occur.”

After it took them nearly 11 minutes to record their first shot on goal, the Rebels opened the scoring on a fortuitous bounce. Kristian Reichel’s centering pass bounced off of a Hurricanes defender and in for Reichel’s 33rd goal of the season at the 12:45 mark of period one.

Josh Tarzwell gave the Rebels a 2-0 lead with a power play goal against his former club 1:04 into period two.

Zane Franklin sawed Lethbridge’s deficit in half with a power play goal 5:52 into the middle frame.

Reichel restored Red Deer’s two-goal lead with another power play tally at the 14:33 mark as he ripped a rebound shot past Canes goalie Reese Klassen.

In the third, McCarty set up Brandon Hagel with a wide open net and he made no mistake, firing home his 18th goal of the year at 3:37 for a 4-1 Rebels lead.

Jake Elmer brought Lethbridge within 4-2 with a nifty top shelf shot to the short side of Rebels goalie Riley Lamb at the 6:40 mark.

The Hurricanes kept pressing from there and came close on several occasions to making it a one goal game. But the Rebels would hang in long enough for Reese Johnson to put the game away with his 23rd goal on the season with less than four minutes remaining.

Final shots on goal were 34-25 favouring Lethbridge. Red Deer was 2/5 on the power play while the Hurricanes were 1/2.

It was a huge night overall for the Rebels top line of McCarty, Hagel and Reichel as the high flying trio combined for eight points.

“We harp on it and Hages (Hagel) says the coach harps on it, but that’s okay,” Sutter joked. “I’m good with that because your best players have to be your best players… This is the time of the year you want your top players to rise to the occasion, take it and put everyone on their shoulders.”

“Every shot, every pass we make is working and hopefully we’ll take it to playoffs,” said Reichel.

“We’re happy that we’re producing now and helping the team to win. It would be nice to stop it now and start it again for playoffs,” he added, tongue in cheek.

The Rebels finish their regular season this weekend with a home and home series versus Kootenay that starts Friday night at the Enmax Centrium (7 p.m. on 106.7 The Drive).